New Orleans Saints

The Falcons released three veterans — defensive end Chauncey Davis, linebacker Coy Wire and defensive tackle Trey Lewis — and 14 other players on Friday. The team made the cuts in order to get closer to the 53-man roster limit. The team also waived tight end Marquez Branson, fullback Lucas Cox, center Paul Fenaroli, safety Matt Hansen, wide receiver Brandyn Harvey, running back Gartrell Johnson, defensive end Tom McCarthy, cornerback Kamaal McIlwain, center Ryan McMahon, safety Rafael Priest, defensive end Kiante Tripp, safety Suaesi Tuimaunei and linebacker Bear Woods. The Falcons also reached an injury settlement with wide receiver Andy Strickland.

In a surprise move, the Saints re-signed veteran kicker John Kasay to a one-year deal. Kasay replaced injured kicker Garrett Hartley (hip) last preseason, but it was assumed that Hartley would be OK for this season. Apparently the Saints will have a kicking competition in camp.

Right hip - Probable for start of training camp

Notable Saints players let go on Saturday include: TE Tyler Lorenzen, WR Montez Billings, LB Dwight Roberson, DT Dexter Larimore, QB Sean Canfield, WR Andy Tanner, CB Terrail Lambert, LB Nate Bussey, WR Jarred Fayson, TE Michael Higgins, TE Tory Humphrey, S Chris Reis, CB Trumaine McBride, CB Quincy Butler, LB Clint Ingram, RB Chris Taylor and S Pierson Prioleau.

New Orleans DB Roman Harper notched eight tackles and 1 1/2 sacks during the Saints' 36-32 loss to San Francisco in their NFC Divisional Playoff game on Saturday. Harper was able to take down 49ers QB Alex Smith twice and also forced a fumble on one of the plays.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that the Saints are likely to use Turk McBride as their starting left end in the absence of Alex Brown. Brown was released on Tuesday.

The Rams placed CB Marquis Johnson on injured reserve Tuesday with a abdominal injury. Johnson sustained the injury in last week's loss to the Seahawks.

New Orleans RB Pierre Thomas left in the first quarter after taking a hit to the head against San Francisco in their NFC divisional round playoff on Saturday and will not return. Thomas caught a pass from QB Drew Brees on the Saints’ opening drive and absorbed a vicious blow from DB Donte Whitner just short of the goal line. Whitner jarred the ball loose, and Patrick Willis recovered for the 49ers at their own 2-yard line.

Head - Left Divisional Playoff game at San Francisco

The Saints made a flurry of moves Tuesday to get down to an 80-player roster. They waived/injured LB Erza Butler and RB Chris Taylor. They released DL Alex Brown, while also waiving WR John Chiles, FB Kolby Hurt and DB Mark Parson.

The Saints signed TE Tory Humphrey and released QB Sean Canfield on Wednesday.

The New Orleans Saints have agreed to terms with their top draft pick, defensive end Cameron Jordan. Jordan's agent, Doug Hendrickson of Octagon, confirms Tuesday's deal. No terms have been released. The 6-foot-4, 297-pound Jordan, who is the son of former Pro Bowl tight end Steve Jordan, was taken 24th overall out of California.

The NFL announced multiple suspensions for two Saints defenders for their roles in the team's pay-for-performance/bounty program: Defensive end Will Smith has been suspended for four games and linebacker Jonathan Vilma has been suspended for the season. Two former Saints defenders -- Anthony Hargrove and Scott Fujita -- have also been suspended.

Suspension - Eligible to return Week 5 vs. San Diego

New Orleans DB Malcolm Jenkins recorded eight tackles and a sack during the Saints' 36-32 loss to San Francisco in their NFC Divisional Playoff game on Saturday. All of Jenkins' tackles were solo stops as he shared the team lead with fellow DB Roman Harper.

The Titans signed rookie fullback Collin Mooney, who will ask the Army for an early release. Mooney set a rushing record as a senior at Army in 2008, running for 1,339 yards. He graduated from West Point in 2009 and spent the past three years serving. Now he's hoping to try playing in the NFL. The Titans released fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou and linebacker Lawrence Wilson to clear roster space.

LB Darry Beckwith was waived by the Colts on Tuesday.

New Orleans RB Darren Sproles tallied 15 receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown during the Saints' 36-32 loss to San Francisco in their NFC Divisional Playoff game on Saturday. Sproles' impressive catch total established an NFL playoff record as he collected 19 targets from QB Drew Brees. Sproles also had a 44-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter to give New Orleans its first lead of the game.

The Saints placed LB Will Herring on injured reserve on Tuesday. Herring will not be available for the playoffs now after suffering an undisclosed injury in the Week 17 win over the Panthers.

Though Saints coach Sean Payton was going to hold him out Sunday against the Raiders, DL Sedrick Ellis found his way on to the field despite a shoulder injury. He ended up with one tackles in the win during limited playing time.

Franchise-tagged quarterback Drew Brees might not be under contract to play for the Saints at this moment, but expectations are that he'll at least sign his one-year tender and be on the Saints in 2012. The same can't be said for head coach and offensive playcaller Sean Payton, who was suspended for the 2012 season as part of the Saints' penalties for their role in "Bountygate." Payton will not be allowed to help the Saints with their game plans for the entire season, and some believe that his absence will hurt the offense. But interim coach Joe Vitt believes that Brees' relationship with offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, who isn't suspended, will keep the offense afloat. "Nobody knows Drew Brees as well as Pete. Nobody knows Pete as well as Drew Brees," Vitt told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They were tied at the hip in San Diego, so they speak a common language and common verbiage."

Colts.com reports that the team has let go of WR Aaron Brown, DE Noland Burchette, WR Brian Hare, DB Cedrick Holt, DT Tom Johnson, DB Norman LeJeune and QB Mike McGann.

The Saints went after a need by taking ex-LSU defensive tackle Akiem Hicks (6-foot-5, 318 pounds) with their first pick of 2012 draft in the third round (No. 89 overall). Hicks went to Regina to play football after leaving LSU. He's expected to provide depth at defensive tackle.

Notable Saints players let go on Saturday include: TE Tyler Lorenzen, WR Montez Billings, LB Dwight Roberson, DT Dexter Larimore, QB Sean Canfield, WR Andy Tanner, CB Terrail Lambert, LB Nate Bussey, WR Jarred Fayson, TE Michael Higgins, TE Tory Humphrey, S Chris Reis, CB Trumaine McBride, CB Quincy Butler, LB Clint Ingram, RB Chris Taylor and S Pierson Prioleau.

Undisclosed - IR. Out for the season

In a surprise move, the Saints re-signed veteran kicker John Kasay on Monday to a one-year deal. Kasay replaced injured kicker Garrett Hartley (hip) last preseason, but it was assumed that Hartley would be OK for this season. Apparently the Saints will have a kicking competition in camp.

The Saints waived DL Mitch King on Tuesday. King totaled three tackles through the first three weeks of the season.

Notable Vikings players let go on Saturday include: TE Jeff Dugan, LB Heath Farwell, DE Stylez G. White, DE David Akinniyi, WR Emmanuel Arceneaux, FB Matt Asiata, WR Stephen Burton, DB Tony Carter, RB Tristan Davis, FB Ryan D'Imperio, LB David Herron, DB Ryan Hill, LB Ross Homan, WR Juaquin Iglesias, WR Jaymar Johnson, DT Tremaine Johnson, RB Caleb King, DE Cedric McKinley, DB Cord Parks, RB Alexander Robinson and DB Devon Torrence.

The Packers have listed FB Korey Hall as questionable for Saturday's Divisional Playoff game at Atlanta. Hall has been dealing with a knee injury.

Notable Saints players let go on Saturday include: TE Tyler Lorenzen, WR Montez Billings, LB Dwight Roberson, DT Dexter Larimore, QB Sean Canfield, WR Andy Tanner, CB Terrail Lambert, LB Nate Bussey, WR Jarred Fayson, TE Michael Higgins, TE Tory Humphrey, S Chris Reis, CB Trumaine McBride, CB Quincy Butler, LB Clint Ingram, RB Chris Taylor and S Pierson Prioleau.

Amid all of the bounty penalties, free agent defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley agreed to a five-year contract with the Saints. This could fill the hole at defensive tackle with Shaun Rogers and Aubrayo Franklin being unrestricted free agents.

Saints WR Lance Moore was inactive once again for Saturday's Divisional Playoff game at San Francisco. Moore continued to miss practice all week after not playing last weekend as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury. The injury was suffered Week 16 and Moore has yet to return for the Saints.

Seahawks free agent LB David Hawthorne agreed to a five-year contract on Tuesday with the Saints, the team announced. Hawthorne, who compiled 115 total tackles in 2011, is the third free agent linebacker the Saints have signed this offseason along with Curtis Lofton (Falcons) and Chris Chamberlain (Rams).

New Orleans WR Devery Henderson recorded four catches for 49 yards during the Saints' 36-32 loss to San Francisco in their NFC Divisional Playoff game on Saturday. Henderson was targeted eight times by QB Drew Brees, but he managed just a long gain of 19 yards. After posting 100-yard performances in each of the first two weeks of the season, Henderson was unable to reach that mark again this year, including the postseason.

Saints FB Jed Collins had two catches for 4 yards Sunday at Tennessee in Week 14. He had two targets in the game.

The NFL announced multiple suspensions for two Saints defenders for their roles in the team's pay-for-performance/bounty program: Defensive end Will Smith has been suspended for four games and linebacker Jonathan Vilma has been suspended for the season. Two former Saints defenders -- Anthony Hargrove and Scott Fujita -- have also been suspended.

Suspension - Eligible to return for 2013 season

Saints LB Jonathan Casillas totaled two solo tackles and one sack in Week 2 against the Bears. He now has two sacks through two games.

Saints DB Jabari Greer led the team in tackles on Monday night in the Week 16 win over Atlanta. Greer finished the game with 10 tackles and eight of them were solo stops. Greer added one tackle for a loss and one pass defended in the victory.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that Saints interim coach Joe Vitt said Monday that the team will probably have to back off running back Mark Ingram at start of training camp, but he should have the green light for the regular season. Vitt said the injury with Ingram is a concern, but he is working hard in his rehab. Ingram underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his knee toward the end of April.

Knee - Probable for start of training camp

The Saints promoted TE Mike Higgins from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Friday.

New Orleans LB Scott Shanle recorded three solo tackles and a sack in Sunday's win over Detroit. That was his first sack of the season.

The Saints selected Samford strong safety Corey White in the fifth round (No. 162 overall) of the NFL draft. White (6-feet, 206 pounds) had a strong combine effort and should do some work on special teams to begin his career.

The Saints placed TE David Thomas on injured reserve Tuesday evening. The team has not announced what his injury is, but Thomas appeared to suffer another concussion against the Falcons back in Week 10.

New Orleans TE Jimmy Graham had five catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns during the Saints' 36-32 loss to San Francisco in their NFC Divisional Playoff game on Saturday. Graham, who briefly left the game during the first quarter, appeared to haul in the game-winning touchdown pass with 1:48 remaining to give New Orleans a 32-29 lead in the fourth. But the 49ers scored with 14 seconds left to eliminate the Saints and Graham after he recorded a touchdown for the fifth consecutive game, including the regular season.

New Orleans RB Chris Ivory rushed for 23 yards on nine carries during the Saints' 36-32 loss to San Francisco in their NFC Divisional Playoff game on Saturday. Ivory paced New Orleans as the team managed just 37 total rushing yards against the 49ers' top-ranked run defense.

New Orleans signed linebacker Chris Chamberlain to a three-year deal on Friday. The former Ram recorded 80 tackles, two sacks and one interception in his 16 games last season.

Saints coach Sean Payton said on Wednesday that DB Patrick Robinson isn't necessarily the starter over Tracy Porter despite Robinson starting every game when Porter was hurt or healthy. "Ten years ago, we'd be waiting to write a story on whether he's officially replaced Tracy as the starting DB, but now, that would be silly because we have so many different packages."

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said he took the advice of linebackers coach/acting head coach Joe Vitt and defensive line coaches Bill Johnson and Travis Jones to look at Martez Wilson at defensive end. "They must have seen some things in him a year ago, most of the take-off abilities and pass-rush ability," Spagnuolo said. "Now we have a ways to go. He was excited about it and it fit into things."

The Patriots announced on Thursday that they signed LB Jeff Tarpinian from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. LB A.J. Edds was released to take his place and rookie DB Josh Victorian was added to the practice squad.

Saints DL Junior Galette totaled two sacks and three quarterback hits in Week 2 against the Bears. He now has 2 1/2 sacks through two games.

The Saints and Dolphins were able to strike a deal Thursday, as RB Reggie Bush ended up in Miami -- sending reserve safety Jonathon Amaya to New Orleans in return along with an exchange of undisclosed draft picks.

The Raiders waived/released S Jerome Boyd, DB Darrick Brown, DE Greyson Gunheim, WR Jonathan Holland, LB David Nixon, LB Slade Norris, LB Chris O'Neill, FB Marcel Reece, RB Gary Russell, TE Darrell Strong, DT Ryan Boschetti, QB Jeff Garcia, LB Morlon Greenwood, CB Justin Miller, DT Terdell Sands, DB Mike Hawkins and DB Rashad Baker on Saturday.

The Saints coaching staff pointed out fourth-round rookie receiver Nick Toon among the players that stood out during this past weekend's rookie minicamp. Acting head coach Joe Vitt said Monday that Toon caught the ball well and ran some good routes. "He ran routes very well and ran with the ball well afterwards," Vitt said.

Former Falcons middle linebacker Curtis Lofton has agreed to a five-year contract with the Saints. The move seems peculiar at first because the Saints already have a middle linebacker in Jonathan Vilma, but general manager Mickey Loomis touted Lofton's versatility and might move him outside. Vilma might also get disciplined by the NFL for his role in the Saints' bounty-hunting program. "Curtis is a versatile, hard-working player that has displayed a knack for being around the football, and more importantly, making plays on the ball," Loomis said in a release. "He has the ability to play all three linebacker positions and we feel that he's just entering the prime of his career. We think he can come to New Orleans and fit in well and provide us with a significant contribution to our defense."

The Saints placed RB Patrick Cobbs, WR Joe Morgan and S Paul Oliver on IR. Morgan is the most relevant of this group as the undrafted rookie free agent proved to be a weapon on offense and special teams during the preseason, but sustained a knee injury during practice last week requiring surgery.

Saints coach Sean Payton said after Friday's preseason opener against the 49ers that CB Johnny Patrick's knee injury will be the main ailment to monitor coming away from the game. Payton deemed it a sprain. Patrick entered the game with an injured wrist.

The Saints signed WR Andy Tanner from the practice squad on Wednesday and cut DL Swanson Miller.

The Saints kept a big-time piece to the free-agent puzzle as wideout Marques Colston agreed to a five-year contract to stay in New Orleans, a league source told CBSSports.com. FOX Sports first broke the signing and reported Monday night that the deal could be around $7.5 million per season. Colston posted his fifth 1,000-yard season in six years with 1,143 yards on 80 catches. He also had eight touchdowns, marking the fifth time in six years he had at least seven touchdowns in a year. Colston has also caught at least 70 passes in five of six seasons.

The Saints signed WR Andy Tanner from the practice squad on Wednesday and cut DL Swanson Miller.

According to www.wwltv.com, the Saints and wide receiver Adrian Arrington agreed on a one-year deal on Tuesday. He dealt with a knee injury last year and was limited to four games.

The Saints filled another hole as defensive tackle Remi Ayodele signed a one-year deal with the team Monday. Ayodele (6-foot-2, 318 pounds) played for the Saints from 2008-2010 and was a starter most of his time in New Orleans. Ayodele signed with Minnesota in 2011 but was released after one season.

The Saints announced Sunday that they were able to come to terms with WR/KR Courtney Roby. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. Roby was a special teams contributer for the team for 13 games before he landed on the injured reserve with a head injury.

Saints coach Sean Payton said Wednesday seventh-round pick DE Greg Romeus has been placed on IR after spending all of the regular season on the PUP list. Romeus tore his ACL while at Pittsburgh one year ago and the Saints drafted Romeus knowing the DE would spend most of this season rehabbing the injury.

Knee - IR. Out for the season